The Simple That Wins Forever

 Wherever you are in the UK, you can locate destination charging points quickly and easily with the Zapmap app and desktop map, both of which enable you to see the live availability status of more than 75% of these charge points, 24/7.

 You may also want to use the ‘Power type’ slider to further refine your search. This enables you to filter for chargers with a lower power rating, which you’ll typically find at destinations such as supermarkets and garden centres.

 Select Zap-Pay in the ‘Payment’ filter to find charge points where you can use it, and enjoy paying quickly and easily for your charging session. You can also use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

 Remember to check for any parking limitations and restrictions. Many car parks charge a fee to park as well as the electric vehicle charging cost, and will send out fines if you stay beyond the time limit.

 It’s also worth remembering that some destination charge points are free to use, such as those offered for hotel guests. You can find these on Zapmap by filtering for free EV charging points under ‘Payment’.

 In general, it’s polite to move your vehicle from the charging bay once your charging session has finished so that other drivers can access it, especially if they’re already waiting to charge.

 It might be worth thinking of a charge point as a community hub rather than a personal parking space. For instance, some EV drivers help others to know when the charge point will become available by leaving a note on their windscreen indicating their expected time of departure.

 Queues at destination charge points tend to be less common than at en-route charge points, where the power ratings are higher and visitor turnover more frequent. Even so, once you’re topped up it's time to unplug and move on. We recommend that Zapmap users pay for charging via Zap-Pay, so you can check on the status of your charge at any time in the Zapmap app.

 Don’t forget to pack up your charging cable if you’ve used your own, and if you do spot another EV driver struggling to plug in, it’s always nice to lend a helping hand or pass on your charging expertise.

 Electric Vehicle trendsElectric Vehicle and EV charging fundamentalsEV charging station designEV charging - electrical installation designEV charging - electrical architecturesEV charging - energy and asset managementSmart charging perpectives for optimal EV integration

 In 2020, the electrical vehicle market is today shared equally between two main technologies: Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Both technologies are expected to grow fast in the coming years, with the growth of BEVs expected to increase its share up to 60% of total EV production in 2025, and around 40% for PHEVs.

 Battery Electric Vehicles are electric vehicles propelled by an electric motor drawing current from an on-board battery energy storage system. BEVs are also called "100% pure electric vehicles" or "all-electric vehicles", because they are powered by electrical energy storage only. They do not have an internal combustion engine (ICE) as a back-up in case the battery is fully discharged.

 A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is an electrical vehicle that can be powered by two energy sources: a battery that can be recharged by plugging into an external source of electric power, and a diesel or petrol engine.

 The battery capacity of a plug-in hybrid EV is significantly smaller than that of a 100% electric vehicle. A PHEV can, using its battery power, cover on average between 30 to 50km. After this, the petrol / diesel engine takes over.

 PHEVs are considered a “transitional” technology. Indeed, with the development of fast charging electrical infrastructures, the increase of on-board battery capacity, and government regulation requirements, BEV (100% electric) technology is expected to grow faster.

 Hybrid electric vehicles are internal combustion engine vehicles equipped with a small battery that can be recharged by braking energy recovery, but not by plugging into an external electricity source. These vehicles are not zero nor low emission, but provide an additional CO2 reduction compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

 A fuel cell vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by electricity produced by a fuel cell instead of electricity stored in an electrical battery. The fuel cell produces electricity using oxygen and hydrogen as primary sources.

 The FCEV does not yet have the maturity of other electric vehicle technologies, such as BEV and PHEV, and currently has only a small share (<1%) in terms of EV production.

 Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism, in which the electric motor acts as a generator during the braking, and the generated energy is used to charge the battery. This technology can be used in electrical vehicles, such as HEVs, BEVs, and PHEVs.

Cargador Coche Eléctrico

 Some car manufacturers offer electrical vehicle models with integrated solar PV cells on the vehicle roof. The on-board produced energy is not sufficient to charge the electrical battery but can be used to supply some accessory loads.

 An electric vehicle (electric car) is a vehicle propelled by an electric motor, using energy stored in rechargeable batteries. Electric vehicles are equipped with a charging inlet(s), and an on-board charger that converts AC power into DC so that it can be stored in the battery. An on-board controller ensures the performance of the electric vehicle.

 Electric cars are usually equipped with a lithium-ion battery energy storage system. The battery typically has a power range of 5 to 100 kWh and operates at voltage levels from 300 to 800 V.

 The battery lifespan depends on the use of the car and the type of charging. Usually, the battery set lasts more than 10 years. However, if DC fast charging is used frequently (more than 3 times / month), the battery capacity, performance and life time are reduced.

 Electric vehicles include an on-board charger, which converts the power from AC to DC to charge the battery. The charging capacity of the onboard charger is limited to 22kW AC. In case of fast DC charging (see charging mode 4), the onboard charger is bypassed, and the DC electricity is supplied directly to the battery.

 An electrical vehicle has at least one AC charging inlet port. Electrical cars can have a second DC charging inlet for fast charging (mode 4). The DC charging inlet may or may not be an option, depending on car models or countries. Also, some models offer a single port for both AC and DC charging.

 The J1772 connector is easily identifiable by three large pins – similar to the power outlet layout at home – and two smaller pin for the car connection. The three broad pins are for Phase, Neutral and Ground while the two small pins are used for communication between the charger and the electric car (Pilot Interface).

 It can deliver between 3 and 7.4 kW and supports only single phase with a maximum current of 32 A. It includes an extra protection to lock the connector while charging, in order to avoid disconnection by a third party.

 This type of connector is approved as the European standard. The connector stands out with a unique design, rounded but with a flat edge on the top. Its pins distribution is similar to type 1, but includes two more pins, corresponding to the two extra phases needed for three-phase charging.

 CHAdeMO is the contraction of "Charge Move". But the acronym is also present in the Japanese sentence: "O cha demo ikaga desuka" which translates as "You will have tea while the car is charging". This sentence represents the will of the association composed by Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan, among others: fast charging with direct current. It can therefore be installed as a second socket by vehicle manufacturers next to an alternating current charging socket.

 CCS Combo 1 is based on the J1772 Type 1 connector by adding two additional pins. The Combined Charging System is made for DC Fast Charging. The connector can do both AC and DC charging up to 350 kW.

 CCS Combo 2 is based on Type 2 connector by adding two additional pins. The Combined Charging System is made for DC Fast Charging. The connector can do both AC and DC charging up to 350 kW.

 breaker tripping: since the recharging socket used shares the same switchboard outgoing circuit as other power sockets, if the sum of power consumption exceeds the protection limit (generally 16A), the circuit breaker will trip, interrupting the vehicle charging.

 Charging mode 2 is a method for the connection of an EV to a standard socket-outlet, with a control pilot function and a system for personal protection against electric shock, integrated into the connection cable, between the standard plug and the EV.

 The rated values for current and voltage must not exceed 32 A and 250 V AC in single-phase, and 32 A and 480 V AC in a three-phase installation, as defined in IEC 61851-1

 This mode is limited to domestic electric installations. The connection cable is usually provided with the electric car. As with mode 1, a standard socket outlet is used, but in this case, the protection device and the socket outlet should be able to carry higher charging currents, up to 32A, which is usually not the case for standard domestic power socket circuits.